Isaac's New Family
by TweakerWolf
Summary: Stiles catches sight of Isaac's bruises after practice and starts to investigate. It doesn't take him long to find out that Mr. Lahey is horribly abusive. Stiles and his father step in, arresting Mr. Lahey and bringing Isaac into their home. It takes time but eventually Stiles and Isaac overcome all the nightmares and fear; Isaac finds a loving family in the Stilinski home.
1. Questionable Bruises

A/N: This is the second requested fic idea I got :D I'm really excited to do some Stiles+Isaac bonding! I know in the show they don't really act buddy-buddy so this seemed like a really fun idea to explore! I hope you enjoy it. I don't think it will be as long as my Scott's Secret fic but who knows, I'm only just getting started!

For this fic I'm going to ignore the supernatural aspect of Teen Wolf. It's all about Stiles and Isaac, overcoming the abuse that Mr. Lahey put Isaac through. Having Weres and Hunters thrown in the mix would only take away from the main plot point.

* * *

"Scott, why did I let you talk me into this…?" Stiles groaned, leaning against the locker, still in his gear. Practice had been hell, Coach was preparing them for the big game against Davenport, and Stiles wasn't ready for it.

"Don't you like lacrosse?"

Stiles deadpanned and looked at his friend, "Yes, riding the bench is so exciting…"

"We're getting better, we might get some play time this year, it doesn't hurt to be hopeful. Besides, exercise is good for you."

"Yea, yea." Stiles slowly started to undress, barely managing to pull his jersey up over his pads.

Scott smiled at his friend, he complained like that every week but they were both cheering the team on at each game. "I've got to go, study time with Allison- I'll see you tomorrow!" He hurried out of the locker room as Stiles breathlessly waved him off.

Stiles managed to get his pads off and then looked over towards the showers, debated it, and then decided to forgo it. He wanted to get home, he could shower there instead. So he gathered up his things and closed his locker, shuffling his way to the door. But then he heard a loud pained hiss and turned around… someone else was still in there with him? Stiles frowned and glanced down one of the aisle, eyes widening when he saw Isaac carefully massaging his back. There were multiple bruises covering his back, mostly of them an ugly purple. Stiles couldn't help but stare so he couldn't look away in time when Isaac suddenly spun around.

They made eye contact and Isaac's eyes widened in fear- someone was still there?! It was obvious that Stiles had seen his back, his eyes were huge and his mouth was slightly agape. His mind went black for a moment before he remembered the practiced lie. "Lacrosse is a rough sport huh?" he called out, hoping Stiles didn't hear the tremor in his voice. Would he mention it to Coach Finstock or would he leave it alone?

Stiles cursed himself when Isaac saw him looking, tried to wipe the look of horror off his face but he knew he hadn't succeeded. He hadn't missed the look of absolute fear in Isaac's eyes either; obviously he hadn't wanted anyone to see the bruises… "Uh yea, I've gotten a few nasty bruises myself. Must be tough being first string!" Stiles commented, smiling awkwardly. Something was off about Isaac's attitude but Stiles had no idea what it was. But he could tell that Isaac was feeling just as awkward about it so Stiles waved and turned away, heading outside. It was obvious that the marks weren't from lacrosse, Isaac had been lying when he said that. But why? Stiles looked back at the locker room door for a moment, chewing on his lip; it wasn't like he and Isaac were friends, he couldn't just ask about the bruises. What could he do?

-Days Later-

Stiles had been watching Isaac carefully the past 10 days (not including the weekend) and he was fairly certain that Isaac needed help. He'd been carefully monitoring Isaac, during practice and during class… so much so that a few of the other students had noticed. Jackson had loudly questioned if he was finally moving on from being Lydia's stalker. Then he warned Isaac to watch out. Stiles slumped down in his seat, face beyond red as everyone in class stared at him. Isaac had turned red too and looked down at his notes. Thankfully not too many people had laughed because Harris spun around and glared them all into silence. Because of his comment though, Stiles had to back off… even he knew how creepy it would be to spy on Isaac in the locker room after everyone was teasing him about it. Not that he was even stalking Isaac! Something was wrong and he wanted to know what, and if there was anything he could do to help. But no one else seemed to care… or maybe they hadn't even noticed. But Stiles did. Any time a teacher turned to yell at the class, Isaac would shut his eyes and hunch his shoulders. If anyone near him suddenly lifted an arm or threw something, he'd flinch… And if a teacher was giving him any sort of negative attention, he wouldn't maintain eye contact, he'd be on the verge of hyperventilating, and if Stiles was close enough he'd be willing to bet that his pupils were dilated.

He was sitting in the cafeteria, once again carefully eying Isaac from across the room. He was contemplating about how to approach Isaac… now that Jackson had made a comment, it didn't seem smart to just walk up to him. It wasn't like they ran in the same circles, like ever, but he almost seemed to be avoiding Stiles more since the comment. And if Isaac was worried about Stiles being a stalker, just asking about all his mysterious bruises was a sure way to come across as extra creepy.

"Stiles, seriously, are you okay?"

"No, haven't you noticed? Something is seriously wrong Scotty… I've never seen a person flinch that much, like ever. What do we do?"

Scott shrugged and picked at his lunch, glancing over at Isaac as well. "No idea… tell your dad?" Stiles had told him about all the 'signs' Isaac was showing and it seemed really serious. As in, something an adult should handle.

"I can't, not until I know what's going on. Dad can't just ask him what's wrong, Isaac wouldn't tell him the truth. And his dad wouldn't tell the truth either, if he even knows about the problem. He's covered in bruises and he acts afraid but there's no telling where the bruises are coming from. I really don't want to assume it's his dad and be wrong… But as far as I can tell it's not anyone at school…"

"He is kinda a loner, I mean he's great at lacrosse and none of the other guys make fun of him or pick on him. But he never hangs out with them," Scott added.

Stiles nodded, "Yea, and he doesn't go out of his way to avoid any of them either- like if someone on the team was physically abusing me, I'd definitely avoid them at all costs. Maybe he's in trouble, like some gangsters? Drugs?"

"I hope not… That sounds dangerous, and if you start following him around, that means you might get in trouble too."

"I'll be fine Scotty." Stiles slowly finished his lunch, still trying to come up with a way to approach his teammate. He was pretty certain that Isaac wasn't getting hurt by some thug, the marks were consistent but non-life-threatening. A thug would kick the crap out of someone once as a lesson and then hospitalize him if he continued to 'disobey' any rules. So it just didn't make sense that it would be some sort of crime related thing, it was too small for that. Stiles didn't like the leftover options.

-After Practice-

Stiles slowly put all his gear away, counting on the fact that Isaac was going to wait until everyone else left to get undressed. He had to say something to him, he couldn't just let it go on. Especially since no one else seemed to notice. So he sat on the bench and waited, slowly counting the seconds as the locker room got quieter. He waited until he was sure that he was the only one left- in fact, Isaac was so quiet that Stiles almost thought he waited too long. But when he turned the corner, Isaac was there, carefully pulling his jeans up over bruised thighs. "Isaac…?"

He spun around so fast he nearly lost his balance; he didn't say anything, just stared at Stiles. Had he seen? Stiles had been watching him carefully over the past week… ever since he saw his back. At first Isaac had hoped Stiles had bought the lie- he never tried to ask questions about it… but apparently he was suspicious. Isaac hadn't even noticed until Jackson had called out that stalker comment. It had been embarrassing but it had been eye-opening too- he hadn't noticed that someone else had been watching him so carefully. Isaac needed to hide the truth, he couldn't afford for anyone to ask questions… if his dad got wind that anyone was getting concerned about his health, it would only get worse. His father had made it clear that no one would ever save him; if he ever tried to get out he'd pay for it. Stiles noticed a lot, he was always making comments about the small stuff that happened around him. The past few days he hadn't 'spied' on him in the locker room so he assumed it was okay. That maybe Stiles had let it go… Just in time too… The other night his father had beat him with the broken end of a chair leg so the backs of his thighs and most of his butt were bruised and cut up. He'd made sure to get to three of his classes well before Stiles, so he could slowly sit in his chair without him seeing how much it hurt. But if he was still here now, then he'd probably seen, or at least fully suspected his injuries weren't lacrosse related.

"Isaac… have you told anyone about… y'know…?"

"It's no one's business," Isaac whispered.

"I want to help, let me help. Tell me what's happening, we can go to my dad and-"

"No!" he cried out. He couldn't tell anyone! But he did relax a little bit as he realized that Stiles didn't know the truth, only figured out that _something_ was happening. "I can't tell anyone… No- there's nothing to tell!"

Stiles tilted his head, "There's no point in lying. I've been watching you pretty carefully Isaac… all this week, during lacrosse. You've been hit a few times, knocked down like maybe twice. There's nothing that could give you the bruises you have. Not to mention the flinching and the reactions to yelling… Isaac… something is going on. Besides, those bruises on your arm, those are finger marks. Like someone grabbed you and dug in… You have to tell someone."

Isaac shook his head, turning his bruised arm away from him, "I'm fine Stiles. Just leave me be, please." He hurried and put his shirt on, grabbing his bag and rushing out of the locker room.

Stiles stood there, dumbfounded. Isaac didn't want help? He knew that sometimes it was hard for people to start the conversation but to completely ignore a helpful hand that was reaching out? What could he do now? Slowly he grabbed his own bag and trudged out to his jeep. Someone was clearly hurting Isaac… if Isaac didn't want to accept help, did that mean he was worried there'd be no chance of being saved? Was there more at stake than just Isaac? Stiles punched his steering wheel in frustration- he needed more answers! "Well, there's at least one way to narrow it down," he mumbled to himself. Then he started his vehicle and decided to head to Isaac's house. He didn't want to admit it but he had followed him a few days ago, just to see if he made any side-stops before heading home. He hadn't thought to stop and check the house… But today he would, because all signs pointed to it being Mr. Lahey. If there was nothing to see then he'd try something else, maybe ask his dad for help. He drove slowly, not wanting to beat Isaac to his own home, and then he talked himself into getting out of the car.


	2. Risky Rescue

A/N: This chapter does have abuse in it. Most of it is from Stiles's POV and the first section is all 'off screen' as Stiles can only hear what's happening. I tried to keep it fairly light, since I wanted this story to focus on healing, and we all know that Isaac was abused and is heavily scarred from that experience. But Stiles also had to see something, otherwise I felt like it wouldn't be believable- Stiles isn't the kind of person that would walk away. He'd have questions and he'd demand answers.  
Which also means that Stiles falls into a bit of danger as well but everything ends on a good note, obviously I'm not going to hurt them too badly! There is a brief section that is from Isaac' POV but he's mostly just terrified/anxious (he's already in the freezer), so hopefully that isn't too upsetting for any readers.

* * *

He knew Isaac was home because his bike was leaning against the side of the house, now he just had to figure what his plan was. Stiles quickly walked to the front door, hand raised as if he was going to ring the doorbell. But he knew that would be counterintuitive… that would just alert the Laheys to his presence and they'd act normal. Stiles glanced over his shoulder, quickly studying the homes around him. He didn't want to appear suspicious and if he just hung out by the front door with his ear to it, well, neighbors would notice. He quickly went around to the side of the house, so he'd be harder to spot and then he crouched under a window. How long should he wait? At first he didn't even hear anything, maybe Isaac had gone to his room? He started to chew on his lip, he was going to get in trouble for loitering outside someone's house. But he had to check and make sure Isaac was okay! He'd wait a few more minutes and if he didn't hear anything suspicious, he'd go. If it turned out he was wrong about Mr. Lahey hurting Isaac, he'd try something else next but he wouldn't give up.

Just as his legs were starting to go numb from his crouched position, he heard Mr. Lahey call out for his son. Loudly. The voice wasn't even aimed at him yet Stiles felt shivers of fear run down his spine. Thankfully Isaac must have come from the side of the house Stiles was on because he could hear his answer clearly; he was quiet and afraid and Stiles was suddenly terrified of what was about to happen.

"Yea Dad?"

"What have I told you about leaving your wet clothes in the washer Isaac?" Mr. Lahey said, voice deceptively calm.

"D-did I leav-"

"Obviously you left your damned clothes in the washer Isaac or I wouldn't have brought it up!" he yelled, interrupting his son.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I-"

Stiles heard a loud slap, cutting off the rest of Isaac's sentence. He covered his mouth with both of his hands and started to shake. Was Mr. Lahey really the one behind all of the bruises?

"Isaac, are you getting defiant with me?"

"N-no, of course not!"

" _Don't_ raise your voice to me! You've been making a lot of 'mistakes' these past few days… I'm starting to think they've been on purpose. Are you _trying_ to upset me?" His voice had gotten calmer but there was still an edge to it.

Stiles didn't hear an answer but he assumed Isaac must've shaken his head because Mr. Lahey continued.

"First you tried to hide your report card from me and-"

"I swear I-"

There was another loud slap, and then a thump as Isaac hit something, maybe even fell to the floor. "Do _not_ interrupt me Isaac!"

It took everything Stiles had to stay below the window. The curtains were drawn but they were fairly thin, if anyone was facing the window, they'd see his silhouette. He pulled out his phone as the yelling continued, wondering if this was enough proof for his dad. Stiles hadn't actually seen anything, just heard what _might have_ been slaps.

"Like I was saying, first you hide your report card, then you get a C on your English paper. Yesterday you came home late and now you're leaving wet clothes in the washer. I think it's time for another lesson, Son; it looks like yesterday's beating wasn't enough."

"N-n-no, no please, it was an accident! I got busy this morning and I guess I forgot to move them to the dryer, that's all."

"Get down in the basement Isaac, now!"

Stiles ran a hand through his hair, listening as Isaac's pleading got quieter… they were heading to the other side of the house… Stiles didn't want to hear any more but he knew that he had to find out what was happening. Quickly he got up and sprinted to the other side of the house, sighing in relief when he found a small basement window down by the foundation of the house. Carefully he crawled across the grass and to the side of the window, getting as close as he dared. Now that he had a window he saw Isaac's bruised face; Mr. Lahey must've hit him pretty hard for his face to be swollen already. He didn't know how much longer he'd have, or just what was going to happen, but now that he could see and not just hear what was happening, he called his dad. "Please pick up," he whispered, his free hand digging small trenches into the grass as he clenched his fingers.

"Stiles, is this an emer-" his dad started to sigh.

"Yes, dear god yes! Please don't hang up."

"Stiles, what's wrong, why are you whispering? Where are you?!"

Stiles didn't answer right away, wanting to make sure that Isaac or his dad hadn't heard him. But Mr. Lahey continued to yell at Isaac. Isaac was crying and begging… Stiles had no idea what the 'lesson' was going to consist of but he was scared.

"Stiles!"

"Sorry, I have to be careful. My teammate needs help, Isaac Lahey on Duston Ave, like _right now_ Dad, please!"

"What's happening? Who am I sending?"

"Everyone… his dad's beating him- Dad, Isaac is crying and terrified. Something really bad is about to…" Stiles trailed off as he watched Mr. Lahey suddenly start manhandling Isaac. He couldn't respond to his dad, all he could do is watch. Isaac fought back, tried to break out of his dad's grip but somehow Mr. Lahey held on. Then Isaac was shoved down into a large freezer- even from the window Stiles could see the long bloody scratches the covered the inside of the lid. And the screaming… Isaac was screaming his lungs out, so loudly that even John could hear him through the phone… Then the lid was slammed shut and the heavy chains were locked in place, Isaac trapped inside. "He's locking him in a freezer," he whispered in disbelief. Stiles realized that no one in the neighborhood cared. This had happened to Isaac in the past and no one had done a damned thing. They heard it all and just ignored it. It hit him, no wonder Isaac didn't think anyone could save him… no one had ever tried.

In a blur, moving without conscious thought, Stiles got up and raced for the front door. He reared back and kicked the door as hard as he could, not caring about the noise or the fact that Mr. Lahey would know he was coming. On the third kick the door finally caved open and Stiles rushed inside and turned to the right, apparently straight into the kitchen. And Mr. Lahey was standing near the dining table, a doorway behind him with stairs leading down.

"Who the fuck are you? Get out of my house right now!" he shouted.

Stiles just balled his fists, not realizing that his phone was still in his hands. "You're a monster!"

"Leave this instant or I'm calling the cops! I don't know what you think you're doing but you're breaking and entering and-"

"Get the hell out of my way!" Stiles shouted, stepping further into the kitchen. "You aren't going to call the cops because I saw what you did. We both know you're bluffing." Stiles wasn't about to tell him that the cops were already on their way, it might aggravate him more rather than dissuade him.

Mr. Lahey narrowed his eyes and moved to block to doorway. "You have no business being here. Leave before I have to punish you too."

"I'm not scared of you jackass." And Stiles rushed at him, taking him by surprise. He tackled him as he aimed for the doorway, knowing Isaac needed him. Both of them tumbled down the stairs and slid across the concrete floor at the bottom. Both of them were pretty dazed but Stiles recovered faster, crawling away from Mr. Lahey and towards the freezer. "Isaac?! Isaac!" he cried out, pulling at the chains. He could still hear screaming coming from inside the freezer and he wasn't sure if Isaac could hear him. Stiles banged on the lid, trying to get his attention, "Isaac, Isaac, I'm going to get you out of there, just hold on!" Again, he started to tug at the chains, hoping to move them enough to open the lid. Mr. Lahey had the keys so he had no hopes of unlocking the padlock…

"You little shit!" a voice groaned. Mr. Lahey had gotten to his feet, and he was pissed.

"How could you do this to your own son?" Stiles shouted. He quickly got to his feet and looked for a weapon. He was apparently strong enough to overpower Isaac… or at the very least Isaac was so terrified of him that he was too scared to really struggle. Stiles didn't want to take a gamble on which one it was though. But if it came to it, Stiles had no issue fighting dirty, this was a grown adult that was going to try and hurt him- had already hurt his own son. Stiles would bite and kick and eye-gouge if he had to. His father had taught him some self defense… but learning in a calm environment with someone you trusted and using it in a real-life, stressful situation, it was different. Stiles's blood ran cold as Mr. Lahey picked up a bat that was hanging on the wall. "Really, you'd use a bat against the sheriff's son? How fucking dumb are you?"

Mr. Lahey didn't reply, just slowly started walking towards the foolish teenager.

Unbeknownst to him, his father was still on the line, listening to everything as he raced to Isaac's house. He had to make it before anything happened to his son. All he could hope was that Tara and Jordan could get there sooner than he did.

Isaac couldn't stop screaming. He knew his father wasn't going to let him out, he never took pity on him; he'd stay in there until well after dinner. But he was so terrified, he couldn't stop the screams, it didn't matter how many times he was shoved in there. It was the same with the clawing and scratching. The lid never budged, he couldn't dig his way through it, but that didn't stop him from trying. Some part of his mind realized that he could he someone else yelling, someone that was angry… why was someone yelling? Then he heard the sound of the chains rattling above him- was his dad letting him out?! Isaac sucked in a breath and tried to calm himself down, wanting to figure out what was happening. But he was hyperventilating and his heart was pounding in his ears, he couldn't concentrate was on what was happening outside. But he knew someone else was in the basement. "HELP ME! PLEASE… someone help me," Isaac sobbed. He kicked against the lid as hard as he could and wept, feeling helpless and scared.

"Everyone is going to know what you've done, you won't get away with this anymore," Stiles taunted. He feinted a rush and Mr. Lahey reacted immediately. Stiles chewed on his lip… with the bat, he had the obvious advantage, and he was ready for Stiles to try and rush him again… Even if Stiles did get close, he could still use the butt of the bat. Once again Stiles looked around as he side-stepped Mr. Lahey. Then he smiled triumphantly as he found a stack of old bricks. He quickly grabbed one and threw it at Mr. Lahey, not pausing to see if it hit, just grabbing another. The bricks were heavy and he wasn't on the baseball team but it made Mr. Lahey pause. He wouldn't come closer, that would mean a higher chance of getting hit. Now, Stiles realized that he could easily decide to just bend down and try to throw a brick back at him, but that was when Stiles would run at him again. He hefted a brick in his hand and wondered if he could really use it to bash Mr. Lahey's head in. Stiles doubted that he could…

"You're a real troublesome, petulant child. Obviously your father never disciplined you. So it looks like I'll have to do it." Mr. Lahey slowly bent down and reached for a brick, his eyes never leaving Stiles.

That wasn't exactly the scenario that Stiles was hoping for… The minute he even twitched, Mr. Lahey would jump back to his feet. So he took a few steps forward and threw the one brick he had as hard as he could. It missed of course but it made Mr. Lahey dodge to the side and he was off-balance. So Stiles rushed forward, knowing it was his only chance. He screamed in rage as he tried to tackle his opponent, hands reaching for the bat. He managed to get both hands on it but Mr. Lahey had recovered and was trying to wrestle it away from him. Stiles kicked at him and tried to trip him but Mr. Lahey was stronger than he looked. He twisted the bat and bumped Stiles, knocking him to the floor. Stiles panicked as the man straddled him and quickly pressed the bat down on his throat. He kicked and struggled, arms flailing around to try and find something to hit him with… already his vision was spotting and his eyes were watering from the pressure building in his head.

"Drop the bat, NOW!" Jordan yelled, gun unholstered and leveled at Mr. Lahey.

Stiles tried to sigh in relief but he couldn't, Mr. Lahey hadn't let up. He continued to press the wood into his neck even as he yelled at the deputies.

"This little punk broke into my house and attacked me! I was defending myself!"

"Who's in the freezer then?" Tara asked, voice full of rage. "Get off the boy, now, and put your hands behind your head." She pressed her finger on the trigger, only willing to give him a few more seconds. Stiles's face was red and he was barely struggling.

Surprisingly he did as he was told; he tossed the bat to the side and let Stiles crawl out from under him. Stiles sucked in air, coughing and wheezing, waiting for the world to stop spinning. But as soon as he caught his breath he whirled around and held out a hand. "Key," he rasped out. But Mr. Lahey didn't move, he just smirked. Stiles narrowed his eyes and lifted a fist like he was going to punch him but Jordan stepped between them.

"Stiles, don't." The situation was under control, if Stiles were to hit him now it would just look bad. Jordan quickly cuffed Mr. Lahey and then searched his pockets. As soon as he found a key ring, Stiles ran forward and snatched it from him. He would've said something but he could understand the boy's sense of urgency.

"Stiles?!" John called out, rushing down the stairs, finally arriving at the house.

"He's okay Sheriff, a little worse for wear but alive and conscious," Tara reassured him. She flattened against the wall to give him room to pass her.

But Stiles didn't pause, instead he called out for Isaac, fumbling with the keys in his hands. "Isaac, it's okay, it's okay!" He opened the padlock and threw the chains off the lid, swinging it open.

John froze in his tracks as he watched. He took in everything in those few seconds. The worried look his son had on his face, and his lack of concern for his own well being. He saw the scratched lid and heard the screams. And he saw the look of absolute terror on Isaac's face as it came into view. Like he had no idea he was being rescued, almost as if he was still expecting to see his father's angry face staring down at him.

"Shhh, Isaac, Isaac, it's me, Stiles, shhhh, you're okay." Stiles slowly held up his hands, fingers splayed out wide in the universal sign of placation. For a split second Stiles wasn't sure if he could understand or not. He was so frightened, he looked at Stiles like he was going to beat him too. But then Isaac leapt out of the freezer, realizing that he was free and that it wasn't a trick. He climbed right into Stiles lap and clung to him, eyes squeezed shut as he sobbed loudly.

None of the adults wanted to do anything to startle the scared boy but Mr. Lahey started shouting more abuse at his son and Jordan quickly hauled him outside. Isaac had flinched and whimpered, and Stiles held him tighter, trying to shield the taller teen. "Don't listen to him, he can't hurt you anymore," he promised.

John wanted to reassure him as well, knowing that Isaac was still in shock. "Isaac, son, you're alright now, you're safe," he said in a hushed tone. Slowly he stepped forward and knelt down next to the two of them. "I promise, you're safe now."

Isaac tearfully looked up at him, not comprehending the situation. He squeezed in closer to Stiles, uncertain… but Stiles was carefully rubbing his back and whispering the same words, over and over, he was safe. He numbly nodded his head in disbelief. He didn't say a word as the sheriff led him out of the basement and towards the waiting ambulance. What was going to happen to him now? Isaac had heard the sheriff and the deputies talk about 'documentation' and they'd tried asking Isaac what the extent of his injuries were but… he couldn't find his voice. It was all too surreal. They'd arrested his father but even now Isaac was still too scared to try and say anything, to speak against his father. He'd tried to deny that he needed to go to the hospital but the sheriff had insisted otherwise. Isaac wasn't about to try and talk back to him, he knew better. But he really didn't want to go, he was terrified of the doctors poking and prodding him, of what they might see… or what they'd say. Until now, Isaac had done a great job at keeping everything a secret. No one at school suspected a thing, and none of the adults ever seemed to care. The neighbors knew but they definitely didn't care! He clung to Stiles's arm, unsure of what else to do. If he could, he would've rather shriveled away than have everyone staring at him. But as the shock of everything started to wear away, he became aware of a sharp pain in his fingertips. Isaac cautiously eased up on his grip and looked… his nails had peeled back and they were bleeding again.

"Isaac, I'm not going anywhere, it's okay," Stiles whispered. He could tell that Isaac was scared and didn't want to be left alone. It was probably just a fluke that he'd attached himself to Stiles- he was the one that had opened the freezer though. And the most friendly face around, it wasn't like he knew any of the deputies or the EMTs, unlike Stiles. "Those look really bad, you should go to the hospital, Melissa- Scott's mom, she's working right now and I know she'll take good care of you," he rasped. Then he cursed himself, he was talking to Isaac like he was a child… But Isaac was scared and he wasn't really sure how else to talk to him; Stiles knew he hated it when he Dad had done that though, with the panic attacks… He cleared his throat to try again and winced. "Hell, maybe I should go with you, my throat really hurts…"

Isaac brightened at that, recognizing that he was being genuine and not pretending, just to give him an out. But he also felt bad, knowing that his dad tried to kill him. Before he could say anything, Stiles was suddenly pulled away from him. Isaac almost panicked but then he recognized the uniform that Stiles disappeared behind.

"Dad, I'm okay… I just think I need an x-ray or something, just to double check," Stiles mumbled against his dad's shoulder.

"Stiles, I want to yell at you so much for being so stupid. But I know I can't because you did the right thing. I could have never asked you to just stand there and do nothing while that happened. I just hope you do realize how dangerous that was though- you could've been killed!"

"Yea, I know Dad," he answered, voice cracking as tears built up in his eyes. He had no idea if Mr. Lahey was really going to kill him or if he was just trying to get him to pass out… but it was the scariest thing that had ever happened to him. But he knew it was probably nothing compared to what Isaac had been through. He sniffled and buried his face in his dad's shoulder, wrapping his arms around him.

Isaac stood there awkwardly, embarrassed by the show of affection. If he wasn't so upset by the freezer incident, he might've felt jealous. But mostly he felt terrified, his heart would jump to his throat every time someone pushed past him to get into the house. He was so distracted at watching everyone else, he yelped in surprise when someone suddenly wrapped an arm around him. His body tensed up in fear- had his father escaped the patrol car?!

John immediately pulled away and apologized, "Sorry Isaac, it was just me. You looked so… lost, fatherly instinct kicked in I guess."

"I-it's okay," he mumbled in response. He didn't know what else to say, 'fatherly instinct', was that even a thing? Isaac couldn't help but glance at his father in the backseat of the cruiser and he immediately flinched away from the look of absolute hatred he got. Then Stiles stepped up next to him again, wiping his eyes.

"Can we meet you at the hospital?"

"You aren't going to ride with me?" John asked. Belatedly he realized he should've let it go, obviously Isaac needed the company. He'd been surprised by the statement though.

Stiles tried to laugh but winced again, "You know how I love to pester the EMTs, and it's been like, years since I've actually been in the back of one of those things, c'mon, how am I going to pass this up?"

"Yea, yea, alright. Try not to be too annoying, they do have jobs to do."

Isaac smiled awkwardly, or maybe grimaced, they were talking about him. He could only imagine what the paramedics would ask, or how they'd react to his wounds. But Stiles was coming with him, and everyone was at least treating it normally, because Stiles had a valid reason to also be going to the hospital. He was _not_ riding along just to hold Isaac's hand.

"I promise you can yell at me all you want when we get home for being stupid. You're right though, I'm not going to listen because I'd do it all again in a heartbeat," Stiles said before gently nudging Isaac towards the waiting ambulance.

John couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head, "I'm definitely holding you to that promise, I don't want to hear any complaining once I get started. Love you kiddo, I'll be right behind you."

Neither of them noticed Isaac tense up as they joked about the yelling… but he was pretty good at hiding it, and at being invisible. Those two were obviously focused on each other; he didn't mind though, that meant no one was focused on him. It was how Isaac preferred things. But then Stiles was pulling him along again and they climbed into the back. He could feel the sheriff's eyes on him the whole time.

John waved as the boys sat down, trying not to look worried. Sarah, the EMT in the back, nodded at him; they'd be gentle with Isaac and warn the hospital about his condition- emotional and physical. He took a moment to collect himself- there was always a bit of risk, being the sheriff… not only for himself, but for his family. But he never thought he'd ever come this close to losing Stiles… but to hear it… it had almost been too much. Stiles was fine though, and John would make sure that he knew how to handle himself in dangerous situations in the future. So he got into his own vehicle and fell in line behind the ambulance, heading for the hospital.


End file.
